Process of producing a food product



Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES John-T.

Maine PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF PRODUCING AFOOD PRODUCT Knowles, Chicago, Ill assignmto Libby, McNeil! & Libby, Chicago, lill" a corporation oi No Drawing. Application June 11, 1934,

provecloocproduc ventionrelates' particularly to a proceparing eg'etables'pcereals and similar invention provides one i; e food product described e "application 620,1ile June8,i entio'n'isto provide a procood product from food sub- 2 g n inilnb thelrinatural state an ie u tit oi starch'and'associated celor which is" present in the form or he starch and as cellulose ch the starch granules and g ar ducedto m'inute particle sizes, result their beneficial dietary funclncreasedmnd improved and their 'atdisadvantages which, have heretofore ent areriellniinated. w jher objector this invention is to provide ocessfoir producing a food product of the mentioned character in, which the starch I iood cells have] been substantially tely separated and disintegrated so that arch' exists in the form 01 extra-cellular bdii ded granules and the cellulose envelopes oijnpi ising the starch containing food cells have queen broken one from the other and the cellular tissue comprising such cells and other cellulose bundles have been highly disintegrated and subdivided. A y 3 Aifurther object ofthis invention is to provide 3 era 7 rocessrof producing a food product contain- I I; I 1 3 ing starch as anitem or its dietary value which I iscapable of being much more readily and com- 14o pletely'. digested than has been possiblewith this type-oirood prior to the presentinvention.

A further objector. this invention is to provide otproducing aiood product in which ells so, that the starch ficciluldr and, the IilfOlhtl words, the

umenti aie sllbitantl Hy c0m-.

; aria/om n1 andisubdivlsion oi the (C\.B91l i As an attendant advantage the iood product resulting irom this invention provides man a a dietary element which 0M1 be completely digested in a very much shorter period of time than has heretofore been possible with 5 .the further possibility oi. being substantiall completely digested within the period during which assimilation is possible. This characteristic eliminates'the difiiculty heretofore encountered oi residualstarch in the large intestines and the consequent objectionable iermentation which results. v

A further advantage flows from the cellulose material which provides bulk and beneficial eliminating properties in the intestinal tract but which, on. account oi the high degree of subdivision, is non-irritating and is thus tree irom the common objection of irritation which is Irequently unavoidable with cellulose of many vegetable and cereal products in their normal state.

An understanding and appreciation of the products of this invention will be assisted by a brief explanation of the digestive action with respect to foods of the character here reterred to. It is known that starch, vas such, cannot be assimilated and accordingly its dietary value depends upon an enzyme action which serves to convert the starch into simple sugars. It is also well known that the starch splitting enzymes are secreted in the mouth by the salivary glands and also in the duodenum. In -.other words, with adults and children having teeth, it is known that the 'starch-converting action commences with mastication and during a period i'ollowing when the bolus of iood is saturated with saliva and its active enzyme. However, the major starch conversion is effected in the duodenum which progresses to varying" degrees of completeness-depending upon the form in which the starch is present and the po ncy of the enzymes in thedigestive juices. It W also known, however, that starch as it is contained in many natural foods, such as vegetables and cereals, exists as whole granules and is bound up in cells having strong and resistant walls of cellulose material which 45 renders the starch inaccessible to the converting enzymes. The starch splitting enzymes depend for their action on actual contact with the starch An additional advantage flows from the availability of minerals and vitamins which are highly important to all diets and especially diets for infants. In natural foods these minerals and vitamins are held entrapped in the cellulose structure and by the high degree of subdivision of this invention, they are released and rendered more available for immediate assimilation. This enables infants to be supplied with well rounded diets at an early age with the elimination of the major objections which have heretofore existed. Inasmuch as the development of the enzymes of the body is stimulated by consumptionof the foods which require their use, the ability tohandle these foods may be established at a younger age without danger of sufiering those disturbances which heretofore have necessitated withholding such foods untila later age. H

It will thus be seen that the product produced is not only a beneficial food substance but that in many cases it has corrective and health-giving properties. It is to be understood that the benefits herein mentioned are also valuable for all human feeding and are thus not restricted to infants.

It should be further understood that the vegetables and cereals treated by this process may be canned foods, that is to say, foods which have been previously cooked and canned in the usual way. With such foods as starting material, the cans may be opened and the contents treated for subdivision and then recanned or dried and packaged for the market.

I claim:

1. The herein described process which comprises the steps oi cooking a food substance containing natural starch and cellulose to form a softened mass and then subdividing the material of said mass to a degree which separates and disintegrates substantially all of the starch containing food cells, the contained starch granules, and the cellulose, and removes the starch particles of said mass from the wall material of said starch containing food cells, and thus reduces substantially all of saidstarch to extra-cellular subdivided granules and also reduces substantially all of said cellulose to particle size of substantially the size of the particles of said extra-cellular and subdivided starch.

2. The herein described process which comprises the steps of cooking a food substance containing natural starch and cellulose to form a softened mass, and then subjecting said mass to the action of a disintegrating and subdividing valve at a pressure sufiicient to subdivide the material of said mass to a degree which separates and disintegrates substantially all of the starch containing food cells, the contained starch granules, and the cellulose, and removes the starch particles of said mass from the wall material of said starch containing food cells, and thus reduces substantially all of said starch to extracellular subdivided granules and also reduces substantially all of said cellulose to particle size of substantially the size of the particles of said extra-cellular and subdivided starch.

3. The herein described process which comprises the steps of cooking a food substance containing natural starch and cellulose to form a softened mass, and then subjecting said mass to the action of a disintegrating and subdividing valve at a pressure of approximately thirty five hundred pounds per square inch'so as to subdivide the material of said mass to a degree which separates and disintegrates substantially all of the starch containing food cells, the contained starch granules, and thecellulose, and removes the starch particles of said mass from the wall material of said starch containing food cells, and thus reduces substantZaIIy all of said starch to extra-cellular subdivided granules and also re- JOHN T. KNOWLES.

A ril 14, 1936. M EN 2,037,030

NAVIGATION INSTRUMENT 

